


The Sound of Silence

by sophoklesworld



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus and his ghosts, Post-Season/Series 01, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 08:40:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17978012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophoklesworld/pseuds/sophoklesworld
Summary: "This! This is what I see every day, every hour, every minute I’m sober! They’re always there! It’s loud and scary and goddamn annoying, and I sometimes need a break!"He knows he’s yelling. He doesn’t care. His siblings stare at the ghosts around them with varying degree of shock, fear, disgust, guilt and annoyance (the last is only Ben and Klaus thinks it’s for his sake but would also forgive Ben, he’s lived it after all).akaKlaus learns to partly control his powers after a fight with his siblings.





	The Sound of Silence

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in a very long time, I hope everything checks out! I also just wrote this down after binge-watching and binge-reading The Umbrella Academy and loving it.
> 
> Enjoy!

They didn’t understand. They didn’t get it and they never would. Maybe they didn’t want to.

He doesn’t even remember what they were originally fighting about, just knows it turned into a gang-up-on-Klaus-event. First he just rolled his eyes, because nothing new there. But they kept coming, and kept coming good, telling him off for the drugs, the lies (not that he lied often, mind them). And then Klaus got angry. So very angry. Because he doesn’t deserve this. So here he is, feeding his anger. It feels good. Enabling. Freeing, because the louder the thunder in his ears gets, the more it has the bonus of shutting out the spirits.

Anger is pushing through Klaus’ veins, pressing through him in a surge of energy he doesn’t expect — the same energy he felt when channeling Ben’s abilities, the energy he hadn’t been able to summon since. And he uses it, because it’s time for his siblings to stop. Stop criticizing him for things they didn’t understand, stop laughing him off. Time for them to stop, see and understand.

Throwing his hands to his sides, faintly aware of their electric blue glow, he releases the energy. There’s something like a shockwave going through the room, leaving a couple of blue glowing spirits in its wake. He doesn’t look at them. He knows what they look like — bloody, broken, angry. The energy dances and tingles along his skin, a heady feeling he hadn’t been able to appreciate during the apocalypse.

"This! This is what I see every day, every hour, every minute I’m sober! They’re _always there_! It’s loud and scary and goddamn annoying, and I sometimes need a break!"

He knows he’s yelling. He doesn’t care. His siblings stare at the ghosts around them with varying degree of shock, fear, disgust, guilt and annoyance (the last is only Ben and Klaus thinks it’s for his sake but would also forgive Ben, he’s lived it after all). Their stunned silence is deafening, even through the noice of the spirits. It’s weird to think the other Hargreeves are now able to hear that, too.

Klaus sighs. Hands falling to his sides, he’s crumbling with defeat and exhaustion as the anger is draining from him.

He draws the energy back inside, feels the way it had been expanding to the edges of the room and now is pulled back in like rubber bands. Slowly, the ghosts around him lose their blue shimmer. He guesses he’s back to being the only one seeing them. The energy is now thrumming through his body in bouts but most of it seems to be contained to his chest. It is a weird feeling. One he wants to investigate, poke at. But this isnt the time. Five pairs of eyes with an identical look of shock, disbelief and, surprisingly, a lot of guilt are directed at him. The sixth person in the room, Ben, looks at him with a proud smirk. Klaus finds his lips pull up in return, before turning to his other siblings.

"It’s exhausting", he says into the quiet. "I hate that I can’t just turn it off — although, maybe", he gestures at his chest, "there’s this energy ball now. Ohh! Maybe I can push a light out of my chest, like a real life lumination-thingy, like in the one wizard book that Ben made me read, that would be —"

"Klaus."

Ben shakes his head at him. Right, not the right time. Backtrack.

"I can’t order them around. I hope, it’s a 'I can’t order them around _yet_ ', and tell them to leave me alone. They’re always there and they don’t listen when I tell them to leave. The only time they ever, effectively leave is when I’m drugged — apart from Ben, so when you guys didn’t believe me about him as well, that _hurt_ , okay? It always hurts, being shut down and filed away as the useless junkie brother."

He doesn’t know why he said that last part. He certainly hasn't meant to. He never says things like this, doesn’t even _think_ them, he’s the king of deflection after all. But he won’t take it back, because if anything, Ben looks even prouder of him, even if his smile turned a bit sad.

If anything, his other siblings are even more shocked by the admission than the ghosts. They’re still silent and rooted to the spot.

Why has Klaus said that out loud, again? If there isn't anything happening soon, he’ll just turn around and pretend this day hasn't happened and make Ben drive him to the waffles place.

While he’s still thinking that, suddenly, there’s a body enveloping him. If not for the lack of blue flashes, he would say Five's hugging him. As it is, a muscular but slightly smaller body embraces him.

"I’m so fucking sorry", Diego’s voice whispers into his shoulder. "I’m so so sorry I didn’t help, that I didn’t try harder to understand. And I’m gonna try to help you figure it out, now, I promise. And I’m so proud of you, of what you just did. I knew you had it in you."

As fast as he's there, Diego puts distance between them again.

Klaus blinks and stares after Diego who sits down on the couch, Ben dropping down next to him. Because that speech is so not Diego’s style, much like it isn’t his style. Actually, it is none of their styles. They are a bunch of dysfunctional, super-powered human beings with zero ability to communicate (thanks, dad, we hate it).

There’s an uncertain look on Diego’s face, half awaiting Klaus’ response, half unsure of what he just did. Klaus gives him a small nod and sees Diego relax minutely. There is a warm feeling in Klaus’ chest, next to the energy that Diego’s "being proud"-speech has left behind. He wants to hold onto it forever. It’s nice, the affirmation of his brother.

"Klaus?"

Klaus turns to where Vanya still stands, fidgeting. She looks so small, still trying to shrink away, even after everything. Klaus wishes she wouldn’t.

"I’m sorry", she says, pulling Klaus from his thoughts. She looks straight at him, as she says it, her voice strong. "I’m really sorry, I didn’t help more. I want to be there, I knew it was hard but I didn’t know they were just —", she waved around the room, " _here_. And I know it’s frustrating to not be able to control it."

She looks really sad at that. So Klaus gives her a grin and winks, "We could do group sessions, sis. Study sessions. You and me, gaining control together."

She snorts but adds, "Seriously. I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to be shut out and I don’t want anyone else to feel that way."

She lifts her hands in a placating gesture towards her siblings who now turn their guilt-ridden eyes to her. "Not blaming you."

Her gaze turns back to him, and she looks like she’s contemplating hugging him, not sure if she’s allowed. He opens his arms with a grin, and she willingly falls into the embrace.

"I’m really sorry", she repeats.

Seriously, if another of his siblings just outright states their feelings, Klaus will have no other choice than to believe there’s some kind of feelings-spell involved. They want to be better, want to try harder, communicate more, don’t let the apocalypse happen again. But there’s no fucking way, that they all just change like that.

"There’s so many ghosts in the house?," Luther’s voice is full of disgust and disbelief.

"There’s a few more, but mostly only around 20 in the house", Klaus says calmly. "In the streets, I have to deal with a lot more of them, though. It’s hard to concentrate when too many are there and when they’re crowding in, it’s hard to breathe", he admits.

"How come there’s so many ghosts in here?", Luther asks, still disgusted. And wow, no, certainly no spell.

"Luther!", Allison chides, giving him a push. Then she steps up to Klaus, taking his hands.

"I’m sorry that I didn’t understand. I’m here, if you ever need help trying to learn, okay? From what I just saw, I’m sure you’ll get there, soon."

Klaus nods.

"And I’m also here, to just talk and entertain you, if the urge for drugs becomes too overwhelming, okay?"

At this, he smiles, "thanks, but I honestly think I’m gonna stick to Ben for that, maybe Diego."

He sees Diego’s head whip around in surprise and Ben roll his eyes from the corner of his eyes. Allison laughs.

"Fair enough. How about this: I’m gonna be here, whenever you want to go shopping or paint your nails."

Klaus feels a grin spreading across his face. "I’m definitely going to come knocking on your door. You need someone with fashion sense, after all!"

She shakes her head, smiling, as she releases his hands and turns back to Luther. Her face is turned away from Klaus but judging from the growing discomfort on Luther’s face, she must have an icy glare directed at him. Klaus doesn’t envy him.

Abruptly, Luther pushes forward, past Allison. Next to Klaus he stops in his tracks, with a tight and gruff voice says, "I’m sorry", before leaving the room and stomping upstairs. Klaus rolls his eyes.

With a clap of his hands, Five jumps down from his perch on the second couch, almost forgotten by his siblings, who jump at the sound. "Well, this was nice. Good to see, you’re starting to control them, and thank you for the insight. I’m going to head out now. I need a drink."

"You’re _too young_ to drink!", the remaining siblings call in unison, even though it was too late already, the blue flash and distorted air accompanying Five’s departure.

"What a jackass", Ben sighs. "Hey, do you actually feel the energy, Klausi?"

Klaus grins at Ben, "Yeah, it’s right here."

He taps at his chest.

"Cool!"

Ben jumps up, inspecting Klaus’ chest up close. "Are the ghosts still in this room?", he inquires and at Klaus’ nod, he carefully asks, "can you try to banish them, or something? Make them go away for a bit? From this place?"

Klaus sees he’s excited. He’s excited, too, because the energy is still there, but he’s also scared, because what if it doesn’t work?

"I believe in you", Ben says, full of conviction. Klaus stares at him, knows Ben sees his uncertainty and fear but can’t look away.

"I do, too." Klaus finally tears his eyes away from Ben because of the surprise of Diego saying this. He knows he must look awed when he looks at Diego. It would be embarrassing if he gave a fuck (after a day like this, he doesn’t — okay, he never does).

"I believe in you", Diego says again, matter of factly.

"Me, too", Vanya adds. And Allison nods at her side, "Me, too. You can do this."

It was overwhelming, this kind of support, and Klaus latches onto their belief. And he tries, because they believe in him, and if he doesn’t manage it, he will not only disappoint himself, but them. Strangely, he doesn’t want to disappoint them anymore. Definitely not when they say they believe in him.

So he closes his eyes and concentrates.

He feels the energy pulsing through him. Actually, the ball in his chest doesn’t seem like a ball anymore, after closer inspection. More like a… web. A network of pulsing, interconnected threads. Blue-white glowing threads. Some of these threads moved out of the collection in his chest, thin lines stretching to his hands, he can make pulses go there. Amused, he realizes his Hello and Goodbye tattoos also glow in this light blue shimmer. He wonders if they can attract and turn away ghosts and almost tries. But then he sees there’s also threads going _from_ his fingers. Theoretically, he knows his eyes are closed. It feels like an out of body experience, because he sees the connections _in himself_ and outside. He sees how the thread from his fingers connects to the blue outline of a ghost. To their heart. He tries to release some more 'thread’ from his hand, tries to give the ghost a longer figurative leash. Weirdly enough, with pushing the thread out of his finger, he sees how the ghost is pushed further from him. It’s an intoxicating feeling, how such a small gesture may have such a large effect on his life. He still sees their bluish outline in his head, sees the mouth and pushes a little extra energy out of his hand. He pictures how the thread tapes the spirit’s mouth shut, sees the outline now with a cross of blue-white glowing thread over their mouth. And in his ears, there’s suddenly one voice less ringing through the house.

Pushing, he does the same thing to the other ghosts in his vicinity, until suddenly, he stands alone, in blissed silence. Actual silence. Sober silence.

He wonders if the spirits would vanish if he cut the connection. Wonders, if the connection is lost forever, if their soul is lost forever. It’s a ghost that has haunted him for most of his childhood and if he liked having spirits around a little more, he might be sentimental, but as it is, he doesn’t care - but at the moment, he doesn’t feel cruel enough to test it. He just wants to enjoy the silence.

At some point, while he still watches the threads curling through the air around him, now leading to more distant spirits, the feeling of warm hands on his shoulders filters through.

So he opens his eyes. Ben’s dark eyes look back at him.

"It worked, didn’t it? You’re not as tense anymore", Ben asks, a smile tugging at his lips.

Klaus looks around. He still feels the connections, knows, theoretically, he’s alone with his siblings. He’s still a bit scared of what he will see.

After a full sweep, he is certain. There isn’t a single ghost in the room.

A rush of adrenaline shoots through Klaus as he let out a loud whoop, followed by his siblings cheers and applause.

He basically jumps into Ben’s arms, to hug his beloved brother, in thanks, in happiness. Ben holds on just as tightly and suddenly there’s a bunch of people surrounding them in a group hug.

This moment, more than any other after the apocalypse-averting time-travel, gives Klaus hope for the future. For a better future. Without apocalypse. He finally has at least a slight grasp on his ability. He has his siblings, who maybe now understand a bit better. He has his siblings and they will pull through together.

Distantly, he feels the network pulse in his chest, knows the connections are drawing back in, because his attention is elsewhere. But he knows, soon enough he will be able to keep them at bay without too much concentration. Because he got this far and he has people that believe in him (when the fuck did he turn this sappy? Even if it’s true.). Also, he damn well isn’t going back to spirit-crowded rooms if he can have this silence while being sober. Nope.


End file.
